1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an internal combustion engine of the piston-cylinder type having a spherical rotary valve assembly for the introduction of the fuel/air mixture to the cylinder and the evacuation of the exhaust gases, and is particularly directed to the floating valve seals for such rotary valve assembly and means for regulating pressure therein, particularly in long stroke, high compression engines such as diesels.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The Applicant herein has directed considerable attention to the internal combustion engine of the piston-cylinder type and in particular to the replacement of the poppet valve system, including the poppet valve, springs, mountings and associated cam shaft, with a spherical rotary valve assembly for the introduction of the fuel air mixture into the cylinder and for the evacuation of the exhaust gases. Applicant is the named inventor in U.S. Pat. No. 4,989,576, “Internal Combustion Engine”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,261, “Spherical Rotary Valve Assembly for Internal Combustion Engine”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,527, “Spherical Rotary Valve Assembly for Internal Combustion Engine”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,976,232, “Valve Seal for Rotary Valve Engine”; U.S. Pat. No. 4,989,558, “Spherical Rotary Valve Assembly for Internal Combustion Engine”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,109,814, “Spherical Rotary Valve”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,739, “Spherical Rotary Valve Assembly for Use in a Rotary Valve Internal Combustion Engine”; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,308,676 B1, “Cooling System for Rotary Valve Engine”, and pending U.S. application Ser. No. 10/280,293. The aforementioned U.S. Patents are incorporated herein as if set forth in length and in detail.
The valve seal as described in Applicant's prior patents is a floating valve seal within a valve seat. The valve seal is positioned in the lower half of the split head assembly proximate the intake port and exhaust port for the cylinder. A biasing means is positioned within the valve seat and the valve seal is positioned above the biasing means. The upper surface of the valve seal is arcuate in shape conforming to the periphery of the rotary intake or rotary exhaust valve of the spherical rotary intake or spherical rotary exhaust valve assembly. The underbody of the valve seal sitting within the valve seat would have one or more sealing rings positioned thereabout in an annular sealing contact with the outer wall of the valve seat. In this configuration the valve seal floats within the valve seat and there is a slight gap between the inner wall of the valve seat and the valve seal which allows for the compressed gases to enter the valve seat through this gap and pressurize the area between the valve seal and the valve seat during the compression stroke which further provides for tight sealing contact between the valve seal and the spherical rotary intake and spherical rotary exhaust valves.
In short stroke engines, the assembly works without modification because of the relatively short stroke of the piston and the resultant pressures developed. However in long stroke engines, such as diesels, in which the compression is significantly greater than in a conventional internal combustion engine, and which compression actually results in the detonation of the fuel/air mixture under signficantly higher pressure, the valve seal of a rotary valve assembly for a diesel engine requires a modified structure in that the compression gases would cause excessive pressure on the floating valve seal and its contact with the spherical rotary intake valve or spherical rotary exhaust valve.
The present invention which is the subject to this application relates to the floating valve seal and means for regulating pressure therein.